Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-19
LION HUNTING.
LIVELY EXPERIENCE WITH THE
KINGS OF THE FOREST.
A Fortunate Days Ramble and Sport
in the Wilds OF Central
Africa.

weeks issue he describes an exceedingly
fortunate days sport. While riding with
companion in search of game for food, his
attention was attracted by the shouting of a
number of Kaffirs. On galloping up to
them there were cries of A lion lion
There there close in front of you lying
fiat on the ground" Mr.. Selous narrative
proceeds:
instantly saw him-a large male lion
crouched perfectly fat. with his head on his
outstretched paws, and certainly not more
than twenty yards from me. / was too
close to feel inclined to dismount, espe-
cially as l was riding a steady shooting
horse. To rein in, turning my horse at the
same time, and to raise my rife, was the
work of moment. My horse, however,
would not keep perfectly still, and as | was
trying to get the sight on TO the lions nose
below the eyes | saw him draw in his fore
legs, which had been stretched out under
his chest, then his whole body quivered.
knew what these signs portended, and that
he was on the point of charging. Just
then fired and made very lucky Shot, as,
owing to the slight movements of the
horse, l could not get steady one. Seeing
what was coming, | just touched the trig-
ger as the sight crossed the lion's face, and,
luck being on my side, the bullet struck
him exactly between the eyes. II drilled
small hole through the frontal BONE
where it struck and blew off large piece
at the back of the brain-pan Death, of
course, was instantaneous, and at once set to
work TO skin him. He was fair sized
male in the prime of life. AS soon as we
had skinned him, Laer and | again started
on in 'front.' closely followed by the Kaffirs
We had just entered the belt of forest, on
the farther side of which ran the valley
where my camp was situated, when Laer
who was some thirty yards in front of me-
stopped, and, turning round beckoned to
me. As came near | said What is it,
Laer? It's another lion, sir he an
swered. Where?' l asked, dropping the
reins and working as hard as | could to
unfold the skin that was twisted round nv
waist, while at the same time | sought
everywhere with my eyes in front of me.
However, l could not make him out but
just as | got the skin loose and let it drop
to the ground, up jumped lion with a
loud purr some fifty yards in front OF me,
and went OFT through the forest as hard as
he could, Luckily, between the stems of
the trees there was but little underwood.
and the grass was nothing ike so long and
thick as in the valleys, except indeed at the
bases OF the enormous ant-heaps with
which these forests are studded, where the
grass always grows longer and thicker than
anywhere else. As the lion made off dug
my spurs into my horses ribs, and after
race of 800 or 400 yards, the lion, finding
that he could not get away from me.
stopped suddenly at one OF the large ant
heaps | have spoken of, faced around and
stood with glazing eyes and open mouth,
his head held low between the shoulders,
looking as savage as he could, growing
harshly and twitching the end OF his tail
from side to side. Pulling in my horse
tried to fire again from his back, but be
was excited by the gallop, or perhaps the
growing OF the lion disconnected him, and
he would not stand still at ALL My antag-
onist looked so nasty that scarcely liked
dismounting as | was pretty close to him !;
and when lion is driven 10 tav il is i'm
possible to tell at what instant he may
make up his mind TO charge. dismount-
ed, however, and, taking a quick but
steady sight, planted bullet just between
his neck and shoulder, on receiving which
he reared himself up with loud roar and
fell over sideways, while inwardly said to
myself, I've got him. The lion was lying
halt in and half out the long grass; but on
same spot; the lion was gone felt sure
| had given him dead shot, and thought
he must have just managed to wriggle
himself into the long grass, and might be
lying in there dead. I rode closer, then
right up to the grass, which stood Jus. in a
patch round the base of the ant-heap, but
was over six feet in hight and very thick.
l could, however, neither see nor hear any,
thing. The sun was now nearly if not quite
down. After lutte hesitation | resolved
10 take the bull by the horns, and so, dis
mounting, walked into the grass, holding
| my rifle cooked and ready for action. /
soon found out that the lion was not there,
either dead or alive, and the blood track
showed me where he had gone out the
other side. Here, again, the grass was
short and sparse, and by the dull evening
| light could see whitish line through it
| that marked the lions track, which could
not have seen by sunlight. Mounting my
horse and followed by Laer went rapidly
along this track. About 100 yards further
| On there was patch of longer grass: and
as soon as | neared it walked my horse
very slowly, as ! fully expected to find the
| wounded beas, lying in it. Nor was ! mis-
| taken; for on reaching saw him lying, as
! thought, dead about five yards in front of
me. He was lying stretched on the ground;
not fat on his side certainly, but half on
| his side, with his headquarters nearest me,
and certainly lying although he was not, as
| thought, dead. Here be IS, | called out
joyfully 10 Laer, under this impression
! Hardly were the words out of my mouth
than the lion was on his feet, and round on
me with marvellous quickness, growing
savagely; but at the first movement had
wrenched my horse round and dug the
spurs into him, and was at once in full
flight closely pursued He did not come
more than twenty or thirty yards, his
strength probably failing him, and pulled
| up at once, as / saw that an accident had
! happened to Laer. He was some ten yards
behind me when the lion charged out, anG
turned his pony and galloped off parallel
with me; but about twenty yards beyond
where the lion stopped | suppose the pony
SHE'D at something, for saw his rider fal
off and at once refined in Laer, let mt
here say, had strong thong fastened II
his waist-belt at the one end and to run
ming loop on the bride at the other, in imi
tation of the thin thong which l usually
use, but which / always arrange in such i;
way that | can loosen it in an instant. He
however, had simply tied it in a knot t.
his waistband, and was fast bound to tn,
horse.
The position was now this; The lior
was standing with open mouth, from which
blood was flowing, growing savagely, ano
looking like nothing hnt wounded an(
furious lion, while right in front of him
and within thirty yards, stood Laer's re
fractory pony backing toward the lion anc
pulling with him Laer, who, ofcourse, wa!
looking full into his open jaws, which h,
did not seem to admire. / think / shall
never forget the momentary glimpse haC
of his face. He was, at that time, only
lad of about Is or is years of age, and Their,
is no wonder that he was frightened; bu
frightened he most certainly was-his ha
had fallen off, his mouth was wide open
and his eyes staring, and he was pulling
desperately against the horse that wa
steadily dragging him nearer to the lion
The whole scene would make splendit
picture. was little to the right of Lac